


Too Much

by chaotic_gastropod



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Ficlet, Hurt No Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 13:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23712568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaotic_gastropod/pseuds/chaotic_gastropod
Summary: Lunafreya lives, Ignis doesn't.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	Too Much

**Author's Note:**

> Short thing I wrote sometime last year. Found it in my files and thought I'd clean it up and post. Short and full of angst, this is not happy. Someone give Gladio a hug

After Altissia, everyone was quiet.

No one wanted to discuss, no one wanted to think about the fact that Ignis was gone.

It was hard. It was so hard, and Gladio never noticed just how many things reminded him of his partner. The smell of home-cooked meals, the brief flicker of classical music when flipping through radio stations, Lady Lunafreya's Tenebraean accent-

Too much. The overwhelming despair in his chest whenever something reminiscent of him flickered by brought his complete world to a halt, and Gladio would stutter and stop and hesitate, missteps he could not afford to take in his position.

Waiting for Noctis to wake up was agonizing. The thought of being the one to break the news to him gnawed at Gladio's insides, the only reconciliation being Luna's well being and the contract secured with the Leviathan, the only reassurance that the whole tirade was not in vain, that Ignis didn't-

The moment came sooner than Gladio would have hoped. Though relieved his prince was waking up healthy and unharmed, dread took up it's place in Gladio's gut as he entered his Highnesses temporary quarters.

“Noct.”

Both pairs of eyes in the room snapped to his face. Prompto immediately got up from the prince's bedside and made his way out, clapping Gladio's shoulder in a small comfort on his way out.

“Gladio, what's up?” He asked softly in a hoarse voice. “Is Iggy around? He hasn't seen me yet, and Prom didn't say anything…”

The look on Gladio's face was all he needed to know. Noctis’ face lit up with horror, “No…”

“Lady Lunafreya is safe,” Gladio said, willing his voice to be strong. “And the contract was formed with the Leviathan successfully.”

“But Ignis?”

Gladio's heart lurched painfully. He wanted to vomit. “Didn't make it.”

“How...how could I let this happen?” The Prince let him head drop, staring regretfully down at his hands, at the ring cluched in his fist. “What kind of king am I if I can't even protect the ones I love?”

Gladio wanted to be mad. He wanted to he furious. He wanted to rip the world apart and bring destruction as reparation for his loved ones. It was too much. But all he could feel was an intense sorrow eating him up from the inside.

Selfishly he left the room. Leaving the grieving prince, Gladio stormed past Prompto waiting outside the door, past the living space and kitchen, and straight out the door where he gasped, taking in as much fresh air as possible. It was too much.

He couldn't handle this. Being the mature, emotionally stable one- that was ignis’ job. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do at all. He couldn't bear looking at Noct's tears, when it was his fault he wasn't there to protect him. When Ignis was forced to step up in Gladio's place, when he was driven to putting the goddamn ring on. If Gladio just could have been there-

He slumped against the side of the house, sinking to a sit. Small gasping breaths were made, and he absently considered if he might be hyperventilating.

“Breathe, Gladio,” his accent was still perfectly accurate in Gladio's imagination. He could almost feel the other man's hands on him, smoothing down his hair, gently taking his hands in his. “Just breathe, it's okay.”

Resting his head on the ghostly shoulder, burying his face in his hands, Gladio cried.


End file.
